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Dec 29, 2014
New year to bring 40% toll increase for truckers

On Jan. 1, three years after tolls for passenger cars nearly doubled on the Illinois Tollway, rates for trucks and trailers will jump by 40 percent. That's only the beginning. Two more 10 percent increases will kick in over the next two years, and beginning in 2018, annual toll rate increases for trucks and trailers will be linked to the consumer price index. The higher tolls are paying for the Tollway's massive 15-year, $12 billion rebuilding and widening program called Move I

Dec 29, 2014
Koppinger captures trophies at truck shows
Dec 27, 2014
Freight link causes an ag stink
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Dec 29, 2014
New year to bring 40% toll increase for truckers

On Jan. 1, three years after tolls for passenger cars nearly doubled on the Illinois Tollway, rates for trucks and trailers will jump by 40 percent. That's only the beginning. Two more 10 percent increases will kick in over the next two years, and beginning in 2018, annual toll rate increases for trucks and trailers will be linked to the consumer price index. The higher tolls are paying for the Tollway's massive 15-year, $12 billion rebuilding and widening program called Move I

Dec 29, 2014
Koppinger captures trophies at truck shows

http://www.farmandranchguide.com/news/people_and_industry/koppinger-captures-trophies-at-truck-shows/article_39e32540-8ad0-11e4-a90e-af102a0aff40.html

Dec 27, 2014
Freight link causes an ag stink

A FARMER tax. That is how Livestock and Rural Transport Association of WA president Stephen Marley has labelled the WA Government's plan to charge heavy freight users of the proposed new Perth Freight Link. Mr Marley said more and more costs together with increased administration and red tape were being placed on industry and these costs would inevitably be passed on to member clients through higher freight charges to WA farmers. Mr Marley said his association was also un

Dec 27, 2014
Trucking got restart rollback, but here’s what Congress left out of omnibus bill

By James Jaillet Suspending 2013s 34-hour restart provisions and forcing FMCSA to study the rules and better justify them? Check. Unchecked? Blocking FMCSAs insurance increase rulemaking and setting deadlines for an electronic logging device mandate and a Safety Fitnes

Dec 26, 2014
Measure makes sense for truckers like me

Long-haul trucking is a demanding job, but it is a job that I as a professional trucker enjoy and have done so for more than 36 years. I offer this letter of support for one of Pennsylvanias U.S. representatives in Congress who has listened to safety-focused professionals like me when it comes to regulations that are burdensome to small businesses. Rep. Lou Barletta and others in Congress used common sense instead of emotion when deciding to support a bipartisan amendment by Sen

Dec 26, 2014
Don't Underestimate The American Farmer, Just Backup The Truck And Collect A 6.75% Dividend

Summary CHS, Inc. is a unique American business that supports our farm economy in many ways. Only preferred stock is issued so that corporate control is maintained by independent farmers. The recently issued CHSCM provides an interesting entry point. BACKGROUND CHS Inc. is a Fortune 100 business owned by Unit

Dec 24, 2014
Truck owners want preferential treatment

QUEPEM: Quitol-Naqueri truck owners continued to persist with their demand for preferential treatment from mine owners to transport bauxite. A meeting on Monday called to resolve the issue again ended amidst arguments. The next meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday. Speaking to media persons, Shankar Gaonkar, deputy collector of Quepem, who had convened the meeting, said: "Yes, there were some differences. But we discussed the issue with both the parties - the truck owners

Dec 24, 2014
Illinois man is ADM's youngest trucker

By RACHEL RODGERS (Decatur) Herald and Review DECATUR, Ill. Some would swear 20-year-old Nathan Hardeman has diesel fuel running through his veins. He doesnt quite remember what sparked his desire for a career behind the wheel, whether it was playing with toy trucks as a child or absorbing his family&

Dec 24, 2014
An Unexpected Gift from Congress!

Hold it did I read that right? How can the words Gift and Congress even appear in the same sentence? Ok, I guess I wouldnt quite call it a miracle, but its sure gonna feel like it for owner-operators and fleet owners! What is it? Literally, just last week, Congress passed a bill that would restore the two HUGE depreciation benefits that were not renewed after 2013: Bonus Depreciation this allows the 1st-year deduction

Dec 23, 2014
Highway safety starts with the shippersv

Courtesy of an amendment tucked into the $1.1 trillion fiscal year 2015 federal spending bill, the two most contentious aspects of the government's truck driver hours of service regulations have been shelved until Sept. 30. Until then, drivers are not restricted to one 34-hour weekly "restart" in their eight-day workweek, and they don't have to be sidelined during their restart for two consecutive days between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. The amendment by Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine do

Dec 23, 2014
Former Arrow Trucking CEO arraigned on federal charges

The owner of a failed trucking company was formally arraigned Monday in Tulsa federal court on banking and tax fraud charges. James Douglas Doug Pielsticker, 46, entered a not guilty plea to a 23-count indictment that claims he defrauded the Internal Revenue Service and a Utah bank of $24 million while he was chief executive officer of the now-closed Arrow Trucking Co. He remained free on a $50,000 unsecured appearance bond following the brief

Dec 23, 2014
Faux trucker pleads guilty to double-brokering

David Cullen | Fleet Owner A bogus fleet owner has pled guilty to federal charges resulting from a double-brokering scheme in which he and other individuals allegedly cheated the actual truck operations that delivered the real freight for his fictitious fleet out of more than $500,000. Dragan Simovski, operat

Dec 23, 2014
Don't Stress on Waiting to get Paid for your Loads!

Freight factoring company, Smart Freight Funding, helps trucking companies of all sizes keep their trucks moving by getting paid quicker. Smart Freight Funding works with single truck operations, individual owner-operator, and larger companies managing several trucks and drivers. We offer competitive low rates, quick pay, and superb customer service. The team behind Smart Freight Funding has more than 50 years combined driving, dispatching, contracting and accounting experience in t

Dec 22, 2014
Truckers Forced to Pick Between Profits and Law

The suicide of a truck-driving couple in Minquan County, Shangqiu, Henan province is drawing attention to the dark side of Chinas booming logistics industry. After being driven to despair by a 30,000 yuan fine for exceeding the highways weight limit, Zhang Gaoxing and his wife Hou Yan attempted drank pesticide on November 24. Hou survived the suicide attempt but remains in a coma. Their attempt is similar to that of Liu Wenli, a female trucker in Yongcheng, Henan p

Dec 22, 2014
Climbing freight coupled to tight capacity making shippers uneasy

Freight volume that continues to climb while trucking capacity shrinks is raising hackles among shippers, according to a range of analysts. The shippers we work with are extremely concerned about the macro-economic situation, Mike Mulqueen, senior director of product management for Manhattan Associates, told FleetOwner<

Dec 22, 2014
Trucking industry should pay for wider roads

Thank you for your article ["Iowa faces $1B tab to widen congested interstates," Dec. 14] on the idea to spend 1 billion taxpayer dollars in Iowa to widen interstates. This ostensibly is for the primary benefit of trucking outfits. Why does the trucking industry always get

Dec 20, 2014
Trucker Killed , $1M in Cash Burns In Trailer Fire

A trucker has been killed and $1 million dollars in cash have been burnt up in a bizarre series of events that took place on I-20 near Waskom, TX at around 4:00a.m. Atlas Van Lines driver Eric Royster of North Carolinas vehicle caught fire when the friction from his trailer brakes catching got to be too much and flames broke out. Royster and his co-driver jumped out, detached the tractor from the trailer, and stood across the roadway. Unfortu

Dec 20, 2014
Six days on fumes: A trucker’s search for sleep, Starbucks

By Jennifer Oldham, Bloomberg News At 3:30 a.m. in a Kentucky truck stop on the sixth day of a five-state journey hauling auto parts, Tracy Livingston struggled to wake up. Worry over how she would pay a $2,000 ticket for an improperly loaded trailer had meant a restless night. Now she had to get out of the bunk in her Freightliner Cascadia tractor, get diesel and hook up a trailer. All this in pouring rain without benefit of coffee. We should be home by now,&

Dec 19, 2014
Scoular closes on Evans Grain facility purchases

OMAHA The Scoular Co. has acquired Evans Grain and Elevator Co.s grain-handling assets in Ontario, Ore., and Caldwell, Nampa, and Notus, Idaho. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The transaction was first announced in September. Weve had a long-standing relationship with John Evans, and we are looking forward to having him and other Evans employees join our team and work with us to expand marketing options for

Dec 19, 2014
Tight capacity, increasing rates impact shippers in October

BLOOMINGTON, IN While conditions have moved out of the danger zone, ongoing capacity concerns, and the corresponding rate increases, remain the biggest challenge for shippers, according to a new report by FTR The Shippers Condition Index (SCI), with a reading of -5.5 at the end of October, suggests the trucking segment remains highly vulnerable to seasonal shortages. FTR expects the SCI to deteriorate over the next several months especially in light of noticeable increas

Dec 19, 2014
Mid-Missouri Energy makes use of rail track in December's export plan

By Lucas Johnson/Staff Writer Derek Byerly, process technician, readies one of the many rail tanks to be loaded with ethanol at Mid-Missouri Energy, in Malta Bend, Wednesday, Dec. 17.

Dec 19, 2014
Senate Approves Bill That Would Save Trucking Industry Millions

A bill that provides millions of dollars in tax credits to the trucking industry in everything from truck buying to using natural gas has been approved by the Senate and sent to President Obama. Under the measure, carriers who bought new trucks or other equipment this year will be able to take the full depreciation write-off for the purchase year. Usually, the federal tax code requires that such investments be spread over three years. The bill the president is expected to

Dec 19, 2014
You silly trucker! Chinese driver gets warning from police for precarious load

BoChu, 52, tried to tell police his load was perfectly safe when they pulled him over after driving down the motorway into Zhengzhou city in central Chinas Henan province

Dec 18, 2014
FedEx just bought one of the largest logistics providers in North America

Dec 18, 2014
Obama Signs Bill Suspending Enforcement of HOS Rule

President Barack Obama signed on December 16 the appropriations bill that halts enforcement of the requirement that a drivers 34-hour restart include two 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. periods and the once-per-week limit of the restart. Though the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is

Dec 18, 2014
The Mosaic Company Completes Acquisition of Archer Daniels Midland's Fertilizer Distribution Business

PLYMOUTH, Minn., Dec. 17, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The Mosaic Company (NYSE: MOS) announced today that it has completed the previously announced acquisition of Archer Daniels Midland's (NYSE: ADM) fertilizer distribution business in Brazil and Paraguay for $350 million. The assets purchased include$150 million

Dec 17, 2014
Congress Rolls Back Trucker Rest Requirements

Story by J. Israel Balderas / CBS 12 News LAKE WORTH -- Keeping truckers on the road longer. Fatigue is often a major factor in many crashes. So why are federal lawmakers saying its okay for big rig haulers to drive more and sleep less? Right now federal safety guidelines require drivers take a 34-hour restart period once every seven days. That 34-hour rest period must include two consecutive overnights between 1:00am and 5:00 a.m. But t

Dec 17, 2014
Truck rules should be based on science, not special interest favors to industry

In a Dec. 11 BDN OpEd, Brian Parke, president and CEO of the Maine Motor Transport Association, challenged safety advocates who argued against the anti-safety language Republican Sen. Susan Collins added to the omnibus spending

Dec 17, 2014
The Department of Transportation wants truckers to sleep more.

Dick Pingel has a long wait ahead of him. Hes sitting in the cab of his 18-wheeler at a warehouse in Norfolk, Neb., at about 3 in the afternoon, waiting to drop off an order of frozen juice. The warehouse had stopped taking deliveries at about 1 p.m. and doesnt start again until early the next morning. So now, he has to wait at this way station between Omaha and Sioux Falls, where hell empty the rest of his load and make his way home to Plover, Wis. a day l

Dec 16, 2014
NC trucker’s death leaves behind million-dollar mystery

By Josh Shaffer jshaffer@newsobserver.com Posted: Monday, Dec. 15, 2014

Dec 16, 2014
As fuel prices drop, trucking companies see opportunity to raise freight rates

By THOMAS BLACK * Bloomberg News http://www.stltoday.com/business/local/as-fuel-prices-drop-trucking-companies-see-opportunity-to-raise/article_c5055df0-57bd-5dd3-aa5a-a47a340c88e6.html

Dec 16, 2014
Lawsuit Says Turner Grain Companies Shared Assets as 'Same Entity'

The financial mess at Turner Grain Merchandising Inc. of Brinkley is getting messier. Bankruptcy attorney Kevin Keech of North Little Rock, who has been acting as receiver of the grain distribution company since September, filed a lawsuit last week in Turners bankruptcy case asking that eight related entities be stopped from shedding assets while he plans to file Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for each of the companies. Keech said in the filing that the companies, with

Dec 16, 2014
Grain bin collapses at Britton elevator

BRITTON Officials expect to recover about half of the grain after a 40,000-bushel grain bin collapsed at an elevator in northeastern South Dakota. The bin at the Wheaton Dumont Co-op elevator in Britton developed a leak and collapsed Sunday afternoon. CEO Philip Deal tells the American News that the collapse also destroyed conveyors and other overhead equipment. Wheaton Dumont has elevators in 10 co

Dec 15, 2014
Energy customers shouldn’t take gas trucking ‘poison pill’

FAIRBANKS If you had the choice, which would you choose: A) 5 percent savings on 20 percent of your cost of energy, or B) 50 percent savings on 50 percent of your total cost of energy? If you, like me, chose B, to keep a couple thousand dollars per year in your pocket instead of a couple hundred, then you should read on because critical decisions are about to be made on the Interior Energy Project (IEP). Those decisions, if made incorrectly, will, effectively, pick thous

Dec 15, 2014
Government Funding Bill Rolls Back Trucker Rest Requirements

The spending bill in Congress is not just about money. Tucked inside the bill are provisions to change regulations affecting everything from banking to the environment. One regulatory rollback has those concerned about truck safety especially upset. The regulation is part of a series of rules that spell out the number of hours that long-haul truck drivers, the ones behind the wheel of the big rigs on the interstates, can be on the road. Last year, a rule took effect that require

Dec 15, 2014
Fastest Freight Payments at the Lowest Factoring Rates for the Bulk Industry

Freight factoring company, Smart Freight Funding, helps trucking companies of all sizes keep their trucks moving by getting paid quicker. Smart Freight Funding works with single truck operations, individual owner-operator, and larger companies managing several trucks and drivers. We offer competitive low rates, quick pay, and superb customer service. The team behind Smart Freight Funding has more than 50 years combined driving, dispatching, contracting and accounting experience in t

Dec 13, 2014
Atchison County sheriff: Six people injured after rail car explodes

By Ann Marie Bush and Megan Hart Seven people were injured, two critically, Thursday after an explosion at GBW Rail Services west of Atchison, authorities said. Atchison County Sheriff Jack Laurie said the explosion occurred at 2 p.m. at 15624 258th Road, near US-59 highway and 258th Road. No deaths have been re

Dec 12, 2014
Grain Train Runs Away From Canadian Farmers

By

Dec 12, 2014
Oil Rout Puts $24 Billion of Truck Fuel Savings in Play: Freight

As shippers of everything from toys to tools enjoy as much as $24 billion in savings from lower diesel surcharges next year, trucking companies see an opening to raise freight rates at a pace not seen in about a decade. The American Trucking Associations calculates that each 1-cent drop spurs industrywide annual fuel savings of $350 million. Diesel last week averaged $2.15 a gallon, down from $2.85 in the last 12 months. About 85 percent of the savings goes to shippers through lower fu

Dec 12, 2014
Grain Loading Just Got Easier

Load Judge technology offers efficiency and accuracy Shawn Gengerke was plagued by the triune scourges of grain loadingdust, dirt and darkness. The Groton, S.D., farmer was frustrated by the grind of extra labor, failed technology and ill-health directly related to the inefficiencies of grain loading. I woke up one morning in 2012 and said, Enough. Im going to fix this problem, he says. Gengerke, a fourth-generation farmer and CE

Dec 12, 2014
Grain crisis forcing co-operation across logistics system

A tide of cautious hope for reconciliation is washing through the grain transportation system after a year of fighting.? I think communication is the best thing to solve a problem, John Corey, a dispute resolution specialist with the Canadian Transportation Agency, told the Fields on Wheels conference Dec. 3.? If your car is late for a day or a week, calling the railway and asking whats going on, or better yet, getting a call from the railway telling

Dec 12, 2014
Trucking industry injury rates and costs among the highest says new report

Tumwater Truck drivers have some of the highest rates of workplace injuries in Washington state, according to a new report from the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I). Each year, one in every 13 truck drivers has a work-related injury serious enough that they have to miss work for a period of time. The report, Trucking Industry: Examining Injurie

Dec 11, 2014
Trucker Receives Nearly 22 Years for Tractor-Trailer, Cargo Thefts

A Kansas City, Missouri truck driver was sentenced in federal court on Monday for his role in a 14-year-long conspiracy to steal more than $1 million worth of trucks and trailers and their cargo. Kenneth Ray Borders received 21 years and 10 months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Borders to pay nearly than $1.3 million in restitution to 27 victims. Borders sentence takes into account his previous criminal history of theft of a truck, trailer and ca

Dec 11, 2014
U.S. Department of Transportation Eliminates $1.7 Billion Annual Paperwork Burden for U.S. Trucking Industry

WASHINGTON, Dec. 9, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx announced today that, effective Dec. 18, 2014, professional truck drivers will no longer have to comply with a burdensome daily paperwork requirement, saving the trucking industry an estimated $1.7 billion annually without compromising safety.

Dec 11, 2014
LOAD SEMIS FAST AND ACCURATELY

Green flashing lights at The Load Judge display werent a gimmick. The bars mount inside a semitrailer. Add a moisture sensor and a smartphone or tablet app, and you can sit in the cab and watch the trailer load. Blend in corn with different moisture content easily, reps say. The Load Judge was invented by a farmer. Learn more from Leading Edge Industries, Groton, S.D., at 605-397-2020 or www.loadjudge.com.

Dec 10, 2014
Kansas City Trucker Sentenced in Conspiracy to Steal Trucks, Trailers & Cargo

A Kansas City, MO, truck driver was sentenced in federal court Monday for his role in a 14-year-long conspiracy to steal more than $1 million worth of trucks and trailers and their cargo. Kansas City, MO - infoZine - Kenneth Ray Borders, 43, of Kansas City, Mo., was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Greg Kays to 21 years and10 months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Borders to pay $1,27

Dec 10, 2014
Trucker fight revived in funding bill

By Keith Laing - 12/08/14 11:59 AM EST A long-running fight over the hours truck drivers can spend on the road is being revived in the government funding bill now before Congress. Lawmakers are debating whether to insert a provision into the so-c

Dec 10, 2014
State Energy Office Awards Nearly $1M to Wis. Trucking Companies

The Department of Administrations State Energy Office announced it is awarding nearly $1 million to 53 Wisconsin motor carriers to help fund diesel truck idling reduction

Dec 10, 2014
Time to Restart Trucking Hours of Service Rules

As Congress works to wrap-up its legislative business this week, the House has an important opportunity to improve road safety and correct a very flawed trucking regulation that the Obama Administration implemented last year. Manufacturers strongly support bipartisan language approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee to be included in the FY 2015 omnibus appropriations conference package that would require further study of the 34-hour trucking Hours of Service restart provision a

Dec 10, 2014
Reduce Manpower by up to 75%

Many companies have benefited by having Martin(r) Vibration Systems and Solutions install an industrial vibrator that replaces manual labor and reduces the amount of manpower needed by as much as 75%. Recently Martin(r) helped a customer waste less time and money by reducing labor costs and eliminating production delays. Martin(r) also helped the bakery be OSHA compliant and set higher safety standar

Dec 10, 2014
More Drowsy, Overworked Truck Drivers

As Congress scrambles this week to reach a year-end budget deal, powerful special interests and their lawmaker-enablers on Capitol Hill are busy inserting favored provisions in the omnibus spending bill with scant regard for potential public harms. An egregious case in point is the rider that Senator Susan Collins, Republican of Maine, is pushing on behalf of trucking interests. This atrocious giveaway would suspend existing Department of

Dec 9, 2014
Fine Against ND Oil Field Trucking Company Lowered

Williston, N.D. (AP) Health Department fines against a trucking company operating in North Dakota's oil fields without a proper license have been dropped from $459,000 to $200,000. The Health Department and Casper, Wyoming-based Black Hills trucking, incorporated came to an agreement Thursday. In April, the Health Department said the company could be fined $1,000 for every day of operation without a proper license. That fine could have run into the millions as the company had been in v

Dec 9, 2014
Colfax, ND Loses Their Grain Elevator to a Large Fire

The grain elevator in Colfax, ND is a loss

Dec 9, 2014
Road Salt Prices Skyrocket As Ohio's Price-Rigging Lawsuit Continues

Its been a warm December, and thats great news for Ohio counties paying high prices for road salt; the cost for many has doubled or tripled after a shortage last winter. Meanwhile, the attorney general is pushing his legal case against the states two major salt suppliers. Attorney General Mike DeWines office filed suit in 2012 alleging that for years, M

Dec 9, 2014
Are You Tired of Waiting to get Paid for your Loads?

Freight factoring company, Smart Freight Funding, helps trucking companies of all sizes keep their trucks moving by getting paid quicker. Smart Freight Funding works with single truck operations, individual owner-operator, and larger companies managing several trucks and drivers. We offer competitive low rates, quick pay, and superb customer service. The team behind Smart Freight Funding has more than 50 years combined driving, dispatching, contracting and accounting experience in t

Dec 8, 2014
DOT chief Foxx asks lawmakers not to suspend 34-hour restart

The Trucker News Services 12/5/2014 WASHINGTON Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx Thursday sent a strongly-worded letter to several members of the Senate and House Appropriations committees asking them not to include language suspending the 34-hour restart provision of the Hours of Service rule. Although he didnt say, it is quite possible the letter was in response to news reports Wednesday that said Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, wou

Dec 8, 2014
Former Arrow Trucking president indicted

Executive Officer and President of Arrow Trucking Company, was arraigned in U.S. District Court in Dallas on bank fraud and tax fraud charges stemming from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations. Jonathan Leland Moore, former Chief Financial Officer of Arrow Trucking Company, previously waived indictment and pleaded guilty on December 4, 2014, to an one-count information charging him with conspiring to commit bo

Dec 8, 2014
DOT secretary against longer hours for truck drivers

Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx is urging Senate and House Appropriations committee members to reject an amendment that would allow semi-truck drivers to drive for longer hours. In a letter to Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), chair of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, on Thursday, Foxx said drivers need adequate rest to keep themselves and the other people they share the road with safe. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) is pushing an

Dec 8, 2014
New York's Sen. Schumer pushes to eliminate federal loophole to 'chameleon carriers'

The Trucker News Services 12/8/2014 WASHINGTON Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., has launched what Schumer calls a push to eliminate a federal loophole that enables dangerous trucking companies who have been shut down or hit with safety violations, including over 500 in upstate New York, to skirt around regulations and avoid federal monitoring by dissolving their trucking company and re-forming it under a new name. These trucking companies, kn

Dec 7, 2014
A Glut Of Grain Clogs Railways, Rivers And Roads

For the Midwests biggest crops, this harvest season was a big one. With winter setting in, the race is on for farmers to ship out their harvest so its not left out to spoil. But the giant harvest and a lack of available rail cars have created a traffic jam on the rails and the highways. Harvest Public Media's Kristofor Husted reports from a barge on the Missouri river. Usually, farmers store their harvest in silos and grain bins, but this year, farmers bro

Dec 5, 2014
House passes bill that could give trucking industry millions in tax breaks

House OKs Restoration of Tax Breaks The House has passed a bill that could give the trucking industry hundreds of millions of dollars in tax breaks this year for everything from buying new trucks to using natural gas. The 378-46 vote Dec. 3 would retroactively restore for this year alone more than 50 temporary tax breaks that expired in December 2013. One tax break would go to carriers who bought new trucks this year. Under the bill, which has yet to be vote

Dec 5, 2014
Local trucker hauls in $250K lottery prize

Davey Peachy, 58, won $250,000 playing the $250K TriplePlay

Dec 5, 2014
Grain Truck Driver Killed After Collision with Train

UPDATE: ROCKFORD (WIFR) Police say we may never know what caused a fatal train crash that killed a Rockford man this morning. Were learning more about the Rockford truck driver police say was hit by a freight train this morning. Investigators are trying to figure out what caused 61-year-old Michael Burtch to cross the tracks in the path of the train. The crash happened just south of Winnebago, near a business on Alworth Road south of Kelley Road. Police say

Dec 4, 2014
Worker on Missouri farm dies after being buried in grain bin

IDALIA, Mo. * Authorities in southeast Missouri say a farm worker has died after being buried in a grain bin. Dexter Fire Chief Don Seymore tells the Dexter Daily Statesman Kenneth Hurley of Bloomfield was pronounced dead Tuesday at the property north of Idalia. He says Hurley, 54, was running a vacuum to remove the grain when it collapsed beneath him.

Dec 4, 2014
Sparking trailer gave away drunken trucker

BETHLEHEM, Pa. >> Police say an eastern Pennsylvania trucker told officers he may have drunk 9 to 12 beers hours before driving around with his tractor-trailers landing gear down and sparking. Police charged 54-year-old Daniel Pfefferle with driving under the influence after seeing the sparks on Route 512 in Hanover Township. The Express-Times in Easton reports Monday the Easton man told officers he slept for a few hours between d

Dec 4, 2014
Self-driving trucks: How the road ahead may shape up

Proponents of so-called self-driving trucks contend that their enabling technologies will work in concert to cut fuel consumption, reduce emissions and ensure highway safety much more effectively than todays commercial vehicles. Trucks engineered with various levels of self-driving technology are expected will start pulling onto North American roads over the next decade. And

Dec 4, 2014
Senate defeats bill lowering truck weight limits

Mich. Senate defeats bill lowering truck weight limits Lansing The state Senate on Tuesday rejected cutting in half Michigans highest-in-the-nation weight limits for heavy commercial trucks. Sen. Steve Bieda, D-Warren, had proposed lowering the 164,000-pound limit for an 11-axle truck to 80,000 pounds spread across five axles. The Republican-controlled Senate defeated h

Dec 4, 2014
Schumer seeks crackdown on chameleon trucking companies

David Hill, dhill@ithacajournal.com | @Ijdavidhill Trucking companies with poor safety records, like the one that owned a truck that crashed in Ithaca in June and killed one person, have been able to repeatedly avoid penalties and being shut down by reincorporating under new names without detection, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer said Wednesday as he pledged to push to close loopholes allowing the practice. Schumer said he is urging the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administratio

Dec 4, 2014
LOAD SEMIS FAST AND ACCURATELY

LOAD SEMIS FAST AND ACCURATELY: Green flashing lights at The Load Judge display werent a gimmick. The bars mount inside a semitrailer. Add a moisture sensor and a smartphone or tablet app, and you can sit in the cab and watch the trailer load. Blend in corn with different moisture content easily, reps say. The Load Judge was invented by a farmer. Learn more from Leading Edge Industries, Groton,

Dec 4, 2014
Fertilizer company makes $1.2 million investment in Marseilles

An Omaha, Neb., commodity management company has purchased 7.2 acres immediately east of Marseilles to expand its existing fertilizer business. Last month, The Gavilon Group paid $1.2 million for the land adjacent to Potash Corporation (PCS Phosphate) from F&W Flying Services off East 2659th Road. Gavilon had been leasing the facility in Marseilles since 1995 as part of its fertilizer operations, according to spokesman Patrick J. Burke. In a written statement, Burke e

Dec 3, 2014
Trucker, company charged after scrap metal spill

BRAMPTON A Brampton trucking company and one of its drivers have been charged after a load of scrap metal spilled onto a highway in northern Ontario last week, the OPP report. West Parry Sound OPP say the load of scrap metal was not properly secured on a truck travelling on Hwy. 69 north of Parry Sound on Nov. 25. Driver Harbhajan Dhanota, 37, of Brampton was charged with having an insecure load and dri

Dec 3, 2014
Ag companies plan joint venture

Trupointe Cooperative Inc. and Cargill Inc. have signed a letter of intent to create a joint venture with their facilities in Milford, Bremen and La Paz, Indiana, - including a $30-million grain elevator. Upon completing due diligence and signing a final agreement, the two companies will combine Trupointes crop inputs assets in Milford with Cargills grain elevators in Bremen and Lapaz. The joint venture dubbed TruHorizons also will include building a grain

Dec 3, 2014
Trucker Says Boss Sexually Harrassed Him

By JOHN BRACKIN (CN) - An Alabama truck driver claims in a federal lawsuit that he was sexually harassed by his male supervisor, then threatened at gunpoint when he sought to report the behavior. In a complaint filed in the federal court in Birmingham, Ala., driver Richard Holley says he was hired by GIBCO Construction in March 2012, and that beginning the following October, he began to receive unwanted sexual attention from Michael Hunt, his supervisor. Holley cla

Dec 3, 2014
Winter weight limits

Saskatchewan winter has a silver lining for shippers. Winter weights are in effect allowing heavier loads to be transported on secondary weight highways. Saskatchewans economic growth is fuelled by exports which are often transported by truck, Highways and Infrastructure Minister Nancy Heppner said. Shippers save time and money during the winter season as frozen road beds can withstand heavier weights. Sub-zero temperatures firm up the

Dec 2, 2014
Charity for North American Truck Drivers and Their Families in Time of Crisis

Each year, nearly 1,000 Commercial Truck Drivers are killed in (truck) transportation related accidents and nearly 20,000 are injured and/or suffer emergency medical episodes. truckersfinalmile.org is the largest known Charity of it's tpye and scope for Truck Drivers and their families in North America operating 24 hours a day from their offices in Albuquerque, New Mexico. They have four unique programs committed to reuniting these North American Truck Driver's with their family in tim

Dec 2, 2014
How many freight brokers have left the industry?

One year after the freight broker bond increase: How to surge ahead Eric Halsey - Logistics Although its already been a year since the MAP-21 law came into effect, the freight broker industry is still adjusting to the changes. This law raised the required bond amount from $10,000 to $75,000 in addition to a variety of other modifications to in

Dec 2, 2014
CH Robison to buy Internet-based freight broker Freightquote for $365 million cash

EDEN PRAIRIE, MINN. Trucking company C.H. Robinson is buying Freightquote.com Inc. for $365 million in cash to expand its e-commerce services. Freightquote, based in Kansas City, Missouri, is an online freight brokerage that C.H. Robinson's CEO, John Wiehoff, said helps smaller businesses find cheaper shipping rates. It employs about 1,000 workers and is expected to post revenue this year of about $124 million. Eden Prairie, Minnesota-based

Dec 2, 2014
US regulators poll public on need for higher trucking insurance

Plans to raise the minimum insurance coverage U.S. trucking companies must maintain to operate could affect hundreds of thousands of trucking companies, large and small, and their shipper customers. However, those plans are likely to proceed slowly, given the current political climate on Capitol Hill and industry opposition to higher minimum levels. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

Dec 2, 2014
Freight Factoring Rates as Low as 3% for the Bulk Trucking Industry

Freight factoring company, Smart Freight Funding, helps trucking companies of all sizes keep their trucks moving by getting paid quicker. Smart Freight Funding works with single truck operations, individual owner-operator, and larger companies managing several trucks and drivers. We offer competitive low rates, quick pay, and superb customer service. The team behind Smart Freight Funding has more than 50 years combined driving, dispatching, contracting and accounting experience in t

Dec 1, 2014
As grain trains stall, Siouxland shippers catch a break

http://siouxcityjournal.com/news/local/a1/as-grain-trains-stall-siouxland-shippers-catch-a-break/article_edd9bfac-795d-50fb-b5e1-deca41b189b0.html

Dec 1, 2014
Cyber attacks can funnel through trucking companies to shippers

NEWTON, Mass. Trucking companies may be inadvertently creating security holes in their customers computer networks. A recent study by a number of US firms involved in cyber security has found that many companiesincluding those in the transportation industryhave opened themselves to attack by not properly securing the privileged administrative accounts that are used to run software applications and grant access to hardware. And having a hole in that part of

Dec 1, 2014
Crete Carrier and Shaffer Trucking Lead the Industry with Driver Pay Increase

LINCOLN, Neb.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Crete Carrier and Shaffer Trucking have announced a pay increase for their company national over the road (OTR) drivers. Effective Jan. 1, 2015, Crete national OTR drivers will receive a $.02 per practical mile increase, resulting in an 11 percent increase in the overall pay package. When combined with an over 2 percent increase in miles, drivers will be earning more than 1

Nov 29, 2014
Why so many farmers miss the Wheat Board

Henry Kuhl could see the hovering helicopter and police lights as he drove his truck toward Canada Customs. It was a sunny day in spring, 1996, and he and 40 other Manitoba farmers had crossed into North Dakota to sell their grain. It was a symbolic protest against the Canadian Wheat Board, the federal marketing agency that monopolized the grain trade and forbade farmers from disposing of their own wheat. We were sick and tired of being pushed around by the Wheat Board, says Kuh

Nov 28, 2014
NITL to shippers: ‘Be prepared’

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor Shippers at the National Industrial Transportation Leagues annual conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, last week were lucky to get there. An early blast of winter disrupted air travel as the conference began, dumping seven feet of snow on Buffalo, New York. The storm was an unwelcome reminder of last winters polar vortex and a portent of supply

Nov 28, 2014
Should insurance requirements go up? FMCSA asks the questions

By Jami Jones, Land Line managing editor To raise the insurance requirement or not to raise it, that is the question, or at least the gist of the 26 questions the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is posing in an advance notice of proposed rulemaking to publish in the Federal Register on Friday, Nov. 28. FMCSA is considering a rulemaking that would increase the insuran

Nov 28, 2014
Railroads Face Government Scrutiny Over Mergers, Service And Competition

Summary Here is my exclusive interview with a member of the U.S. Surface Transportation Board. Read Deb Miller's views on railroad mergers, congestion, hiring and training, and the economy. Any merger proposal would have to include ways to mitigate service problems on the rail network. America needs a freight policy to address the lack of rail infrastructure. Choke points are creating lags in the

Nov 27, 2014
Bear with me as I drone on

by Paul Menig CEO, Tech-I-M LLC This week was spent talking with the ATAs Technology and Maintenance Council about Future Freight Transportation and, for the 21st Century Truck Partnership, reviewing presentations on what technologies can be used to further improve greenhouse gas emissions and reduce fuel consumption. We looked a

Nov 27, 2014
Salt prices nearly double; Could road conditions be worse than last year?

PITTSBURGH As road crews prepare for a Winter Weather Advisory, Target 11 has learned that some communities are also trying to figure out how they will pay to keep the roads safe. I was shocked, West Mifflin Borough Manager Brian Kamauf said. He couldnt believe his eyes when he got the bill for road salt. We've seen a huge increase in salt prices this ye

Nov 27, 2014
September freight totals $102.2B; trucks contribute the most

The Trucker News Services 11/25/2014 U.S.-NAFTA freight totaled $102.2 billion in September 2014 as all five major transportation modes air, vessel, pipeline, rail, and trucks carried more U.S.-NAFTA freight than in September 2013, according to the TransBorder Freight Data released today by the U.S. Department of Transportations Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS). September was the seventh consecutive m

Nov 26, 2014
The Dissolving Silos – The Convergence of 3PLs, Brokers, Carriers

by Mitch Weseley The logistics service provider (LSP) market landscape is undergoing a titanic shift. The traditional boundaries between brokers, carriers and 3PLs are blurring, particularly in the small- to mid-sized LSP market. Many of these companies are experiencing a blending of the time-honored functions that once separated the

Nov 25, 2014
Issues: Coping with truckers along the interstate

http://www.desertsun.com/staff/22417/james-folmer Traffic continues to be a hot topic with our Youve Got Issues Facebook group. Ellen Karsten of Bermuda Dunes put up two posts concerned about trucks constantly roaring along Interstate 10. Average speed limit 85! she writes. Arizona drivers zooming by, large interstate trucks doing 70! Scary. Wheres the Highway Patrol?&r

Nov 25, 2014
Tight truck capacity putting pressure on shippers: FTR

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. Shippers continue to feel the effect of tight trucking capacity, according to the latest Shippers Conditions Index compiled by FTR. The reading of -6.6 in September was basically unchanged from the previous month and reflects sustained capacity tightness and rate increases for fleets. The cost to ship goods is expected to remain elevated, FTR indicated. It says the typical slowdown in freight tonnage expected during the winter months will this year prov

Nov 24, 2014
New York broker for car haulers faces federal charges of wire, mail fraud

By Greg Grisolano, Land Line staff writer A New York auto freight broker is facing charges of mail and wire fraud in connection with a scheme federal investigators say bilked customers out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Gregory Sclafani, 62, of Southampton, N.Y., was arrested Nov. 13 without incident, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Transportation &ndas

Nov 24, 2014
Winter truck load increases begin Monday for north, north central frost zones

By Brainerd Dispatch Winter truck load increases will begin Monday on unrestricted highways in the north and north central frost zones

Nov 24, 2014
Possible natural gas explosion at trucking facility

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) Firefighters are investigating an explosion at a trucking business in Grand Rapids. The explosion blew out windows and knocked the back wall off of its foundation at an office building inside Masselink Brothers Trucking, located at 901 Freeman Avenue SW near Market, around 4:20 a.m. Monday. The explosion also caused a flash fire that firefighters were able to put out quickly. The preliminary investigation indicates it was a natural gas e

Nov 22, 2014
Chameleon Carrier Owner Continues Operating From Prison

Not everyone is cut out to be a Chameleon Carrier owner. You need a particular brand of stupidity to be shut down, reopen your company under a different name, and continue operating under the same unsafe conditions that got you put out of service in the first place. But it takes a truly idiotic mind to get shut down, reopen, get shut down again and sentenced to jail time, and then reopen againwhile serving your prison sentence. Meet Devasko Lewis,

Nov 22, 2014
Buffalo snow-pocalypse: Stuck in a truck

TORONTO, Ont. Earlier this week Brian Foster, a professional driver for Ontario-based J.G. Drapeau Transport, made a delivery hell never forget. On Tuesday, the snowfall in Buffalo, N.Y. shocked residents when an incredible seven feet of white fluffy stuff covered their roads, yards, and cars. Buffalo and surrounding area were (and still are) in a snow-pocalypse as it has been dubbed on social media, because of the lake-effect, a weather phenomenon that hap

Nov 21, 2014
Freight Crisis 2015

By Dawn Strobel+ Updated: November 19, 2014

Nov 21, 2014
Behind the Scenes: The Surprising Shipping Costs We All Pay For

By Dawn Strobel+ Updated: November 19, 2014

Nov 21, 2014
Are You Tired of Waiting to get Paid for your Loads?

Freight factoring company, Smart Freight Funding, helps trucking companies of all sizes keep their trucks moving by getting paid quicker. Smart Freight Funding works with single truck operations, individual owner-operator, and larger companies managing several trucks and drivers. We offer competitive low rates, quick pay, and superb customer service. The team behind Smart Freight Funding has more than 50 years combined driving, dispatching, contracting and accounting experience in t

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